Cone of Silence revisited

The nuts and bolts of the Joint Plan of Action that we have entered into with Iran are spelled out in a mysterious “nonpaper” (I’m withholding judgment until I can see it, but spellcheck disapproves it).

Incidentally, we only know about the nonpaper because Iranian officials have touted it. If you want to understand the JPOA and related matters, you have to attend to their sayings. On this subject, they have so far proved more reliable than the Obama administration.

Where is the nonpaper? Rep. Ilean Ros-Lehtinen has seen it. She seems to think the rest of us should be able to take a look. She’s not too happy with the conditions put on her examination of the document. She dates herself slightly alluding to the 1960’s television spy comedy Get Smart and its unforgettable (if somewhat leaky) Cone of Silence. (Or did she see the lame movie remake?) Adam Kredo reports:

The full text of the recently inked Iranian nuclear deal is being kept in “a super secret location” shrouded in “a cone of silence,” according to House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) member Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R., Fla.)

Lawmakers and experts alike criticized the White House for refusing to release publicly the full text of the deal, which temporary halts some of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in economic sanctions relief.

Ros-Lehtinen said on Tuesday during a HFAC hearing about the deal that even members of Congress must climb through hoops in order to view the deal.

“Why is it that members of Congress have to go to a super secret location, a cone of silence … to look at the deal?” Ros-Lehtinen asked a panel of nuclear experts.

Ros-Lehtinen described the secret document as “quite eye opening” and wondered why the Obama administration continues to keep it under lock and key.

“It’s a very easy to read document; one doesn’t have to be as expert,” she said, urging other members on the committee to examine the deal.

“If this is such a great deal and so good for peace and diplomacy in our time why is it held in secret?” Ros-Lehtinen asked. “If the administration is proud of it, I think they should highlight it.”

The Cone of Silence is featured in the clip below from the old Get Smart series.